'Red Faction: Armageddon' (Xbox 360)

Red Faction: Armageddon is the sequel to the 2009, free-roaming first-person shooter Red Faction: Guerrilla, a game that encouraged players to liberate countless Martian colonies in as destructive a way as possible. Fast-forward a couple of years and developers Volition have ditched the great Martian outdoors in favor of the dank and dirty caves and caverns found beneath the surface. However, while the sandbox elements may have been removed in favor of a much more linear experience, the game still retains the series' trademark explosive action and over-the-top weaponry. Can this latest installment improve upon a predecessor short on depth, but high on thrills? Or is it time the developers called time on Mars and returned to Earth?

Red Faction: Armageddon is set 50 years after the events of its predecessor and stars Darius Mason, the grandson of Guerrilla's Alec Mason and Samanya. The game begins with the Red Faction, including Darius, attempting to stop a group of religious zealots from destroying the Terraformer, a device that regulates the planet's atmosphere making it possible to live on the surface. Without wishing to reveal too much, the game skips forward ten years, by which time the people of Mars are living underground, while Darius Mason, now a miner and scavenger, becomes embroiled in a new plot involving dormant creatures, angry lynch-mobs and familiar foes. The story is told through a series of cut-scenes, radio transmissions and audio-logs and despite being fairly generic science-fiction fodder, is far superior to the one found in its predecessor. Also, despite a few references here and there, those with no prior knowledge of the series will have little trouble understanding what's going on.

While the decision to remove the sandbox elements in favor of a much more focused, plot-driven experience appears to have paid off from a narrative point of view, it probably won't sit too well with those who enjoyed the freedom afforded by the open-ended approach found in Guerrilla. Make no mistake about it, Armageddon is an incredibly linear game that funnels players towards objectives with the aid of a navigation tool that can be viewed with the touch of a button. With a little artistic license this wouldn't be so bad, but too much of the game takes place in the dark caves and mundane settlements found beneath the planet's surface. Despite the previous game also having its fair share of bland, uninspiring scenery, at least players could drive around and discover new areas if they became bored with what they were seeing. The sequel doesn't have this luxury and approximately two-thirds of the game is spent exploring the far too similar underground surroundings.

On the plus side, the series' famous GeoMod engine makes a triumphant return and is just as impressive as ever. The underground areas are heavily built up and feature a huge array of buildings, bridges and towers to destroy. The physics engine undoubtedly elevates the fun factor and prevents Armageddon from becoming just another shooter. Seeing the huge structures teeter, topple and crumble under their own weight is highly satisfying and enormously entertaining, especially if half a dozen enemies are eliminated in the process. To facilitate the destruction, the developers have been sure to include plenty of gas canisters, fuel containers and electrical pods, as well as hordes of enemies ignorant about the dangers of electricity and fire. The game's enemies are a nice mixture of animalistic aliens - who attack in great numbers and attempt to overwhelm - and the far more intelligent cultists who tend to keep their distance and rely on superior weaponry. At times, the sheer number of enemies can be a little much and makes the game quite tough, but if equipped with the right weaponry, any challenge can be easily overcome.

Alongside the physics engine, the weaponry is the game's biggest strength. Unlike many shooters which tend to contain one or two hardcore, explosive weapons, Armageddon features many. While generic pistols and rifles are in fairly short supply, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, particle beams and incredibly powerful pulse rifles are not. Each does an immense amount of damage when used as a standard weapon against a single enemy, but are much more effective when used with the scenery. Firing a cluster of charge grenades, for example, at the foot of a huge tower and detonating them within range of a group of scurrying aliens, sees the structure topple like a huge tree, crushing the enemies beneath its weight. The standout weapon, however, is the magnet gun, a two stage tool of destruction capable of sending any man-made structure or enemy flying across the screen and crashing into something even bigger. The weaponry and environmental hazards add a tactical element to an otherwise shallow game, as does the ability to quickly repair any structure and use it as cover.

With the campaign mode lasting between 8-10 hours, additional kicks can be had within the online mode. Infestation is an enjoyable survival mode, which pits teams of four against increasingly difficult waves of enemies. In addition to mindless killing, players also have objectives, such as repairing structures, although these are far less fun than blowing things up. There's also the highly entertaining Ruin mode, which is a leaderboard-based single-player game, where the aim is to cause as much destruction as possible within a set time limit. Unfortunately, while fun in short bursts, neither mode has enough depth to keep players coming back in the long-term, which makes the lack of versus multiplayer a strange omission.

Red Faction: Armageddon contains a superior plot and utilises far better storytelling techniques than its predecessor. It also features some of the most impressive weaponry that we've ever seen, which, when combined with the ever-excellent destructible environments, leads to a mindless, shallow, but ultimately entertaining video game experience. Unfortunately, the game's environments lack variety, a problem which is far more noticeable thanks to the decision to remove the sandbox elements found in the previous installment. In addition to this, the online modes offer only short-term appeal and won't keep players coming back for too long after the relatively brief campaign mode has been bested. Overall, however, the series has taken a one small step forward, but not quite the giant leap that was needed.